Mark Butcher
Mark Alan Butcher
Born: 23 August 1972, Croydon, Surrey
Major Teams: Surrey, England.
Known As: Mark Butcher
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
Test Debut: England v Australia at Birmingham, 1st Test, 1997
Latest Test: England v Australia at Brisbane, 1st Test, 2002/03
Career Statistics:
TESTS
(including 07/11/2002)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 46 85 3 2745 173* 33.47 42.31 5 12 40 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 96.2 21 320 10 32.00 4-42 0 0 57.8 3.32
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting 0 - - - - - - - - -
Balls M R W Ave Best 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 0 - - - - - - - - -
FIRST-CLASS
(1992 - 2002/03; last updated 11/11/2002)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 193 333 25 11947 259 38.78 22 67 181 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 1201.3 255 3923 116 33.81 5-86 1 0 62.1 3.26
LIST A LIMITED OVERS
(1991 - 2002)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 148 131 25 2948 91 27.81 0 17 47 0
O R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 419.1 2195 49 44.79 3-23 0 0 51.3 5.23
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
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Profile:
With his pedigree, Mark Butcher was destined to be a cricketer. One uncle,
Ian, represented Gloucestershire and Leicestershire while another uncle,
Martin, played for Surrey. His father Alan had previously played for Surrey,
Glamorgan and England, and with his brother following him into the game,
cricket has been a part of Mark Butcher's life since his birth in August
1972.
A left-handed opening batsman and medium-paced bowler, Butcher won a
place on the England Young Cricketers' tour to New Zealand in 1990-91. He
made his debut for Surrey in 1991 playing against a Glamorgan team that
included his father Alan in the Sunday League. It was the first time that a
father and son had ever played against one another at first-class level. He
then spent a couple of winters learning his trade in Australia, playing for
South Melbourne in 1993-94 and North Perth in 1994-95, but the real
breakthrough came in 1996.
Butcher enjoyed a 1996 domestic season described by Wisden as "prolific",
hitting over 1,500 runs with three centuries, and won his county cap.
Selected for the A team, Butcher enjoyed an excellent tour of Australia
(1996-97) where Wisden praised him as being "outstanding." He looked "a
class above anyone else" and finished with a batting average of over 50,
impressing with his judgement, concentration and timing.
Butcher returned to England very much in the selectors' thoughts and made
his Test debut in the First Test against Australia at Edgbaston in June
1997. He struggled in that game, as England won, and dropped three catches
in the Australian first innings at Lord's as the tourists replied to
England's paltry 77 all out. However, a defiant 87 in the second innings
proved that he could live at the top level. Another half-century followed at
Old Trafford as England were brushed aside, but by August he had been
dropped as the selectors made sweeping changes in an attempt to compete with
a strong Australian side.
Selected to tour the West Indies in 1997-98, Butcher didn't enjoy much
luck, suffering a first ball duck on the notorious Sabina Park pitch in the
first Test just before the game was abandoned due to an unfit wicket. In
nine innings, batting in the middle order, he could not progress past 28 and
averaged only 15, though he showed a cool temperament in guiding England to
a nerve-wracking three-wicket win in the Third Test.
Beginning the subsequent home series as Atherton's opening partner with
77 against South Africa at Edgbaston, Butcher was then prevented by injury
from playing in the next three Tests. He made 75 in the Fourth Test, and a
vital, man-of-the-match winning maiden Test century, 116 (out of 230) at
Leeds as England took the series was heralded as the breakthrough innings.
Butcher lost form completely at the start of the Ashes tour of Australia,
but retained his Test place and repaid the selectors' loyalty with a century
in the opening Test at Brisbane. It was a bright spot on an otherwise hard
tour for the Surrey man.
Butcher has formed a formidable opening partnership at county level with
Ian Ward, and their contributions have been vital components in the dominant
form of multiple championship winners Surrey. He impressed when standing in
as captain of Surrey in 1999, leading them to five victories as they wrapped
up another championship, and hitting a maiden double-century, 259, at
Leicester. And even though he was the second youngest member of the side, he
performed a similar role for England, with Nasser Hussain out injured in the
Third Test at Old Trafford. However, he disappointed with the bat and was
dropped for the next game upon Hussain's return, a chapter that left him
chastened.
Butcher returned to the Test team for the debacle of the first Test
against South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. He played
in every game, but could only average 20 against a wonderful bowling attack
and some technical flaws appeared in his batting. It took a while to earn a
recall, suffering something of a hangover at the start of the 2000 season
before regaining his form. Surrey had by now recruited his brother Gary, and
his father had returned to The Oval as coach. But Mark was rumoured to have
been close to leaving the club at the end of 2000, and he later admitted
that he had been close to retirement. He worked hard with his father
throughout the winter and played some sparkling innings at the start of
2001, though the big scores did not come.
Called up in an injury crisis as England began another Ashes series as
underdogs, Butcher showed the old discipline and flair in scoring 38 and 41
against a fierce attack at Edgbaston, and though his run of Test innings
without a half-century had now stretched to 25 innings, he was firmly back
in the selectors' thoughts. Citing "bad memories" Butcher stated that he
would not be interested in standing in for the injured Hussain as captain
for the following Test. He also took a Test best 4-42 at Edgbaston,
including a spell of 3-0 as Australia were finally dismissed for 576.
However, the best was yet to come for Butcher. He top-scored for England
with 83 in the second Test, and in the fourth played the innings of his life
- a magnificent, unbeaten 173 as England scored 315-4 on the last day to
give the hosts their only victory of the series. Not surprisingly, he was
named Man of the Match and later England's Man of the Series. Having started
the summer barely in the selectors' minds, he ended it as being one of the
first names on the list for the winter Test squad. Although he did not reach
three figures in any of the six Tests in India and New Zealand, he made
regular contributions, most notably in Ahmedabad (51 & 92) and Wellington
(47 & 60). He excelled in the home series against Sri Lanka with two
centuries and a 94 which exemplified a willingness to restrain his natural
instinct for attack in the broader interests of the team. Keyhole surgery in
a troublesome knee was followed by useful contributions against India, and
by the end of the season he was being canvassed by no less an advocate than
Mike Atherton as the eventual successor to Nasser Hussain as England
captain.
An amiable and intelligent man, Butcher has gained plaudits for his
musical ability. After the tragic death of Ben Hollioake in in a car
accident in March 2002, Butcher played at the private memorial tribute to
his Surrey team-mate, held by the England players in Auckland. The Mark
Butcher Band, with star guests such as Bill Wyman and Steve Harley, has
entertained audiences at several PCA award functions and points the
direction for his career after cricket. (Copyright CricInfo October 2002)
Last Updated: Monday, 11-Nov-2002 17:17:20 GMT
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